The Tip.It Times


Issue 6799gp

Relationships & Interactions

Written by and edited by Mdeoxys

To those who celebrate it, Happy Valentine's Day! Some of us would refer this as the day for couples to go stir crazy trying to please the other with gifts and special favors. ^_~

Romance has blossomed in RuneScape. In January 2003, Jagex had posted that two of its players, PugXSi and Jennstar, married in real life. While this announcement has long been removed from the site, most likely to avoid contradictions with the “no solicitation” rules, the fact still remains that relationships can develop while playing a game with hundreds of thousands of players from all over the world.

Of course, not all relationships have to be romantic. We all interact with different players on a daily basis when we log on. They could be our PVP team or clan, our cast for a series of videos for YouTube, or just someone to talk to and hang out with while working on various skills. Some of the people we meet on RuneScape end up being some of the greatest people we've ever met in our lives, not because of their in-game skills, but because of the advice and encouragement.

Sadly, as I watch the years pass while playing RuneScape, more and more people appear to forget that while it is just a game, it is also a game played by real people with real feelings. Not a day goes by where we don't see someone calling another player “stupid” (to put it very politely). It's grown to a point where some players have broken down in frustration or anger because of the behaviour of others. The dynamic interactions aren't so dynamic any more once it becomes an issue of plain bullying.

Cyber bullying is a growing issue in the internet communities. Not too many people realize that what they say can and will hurt someone if they push them far enough. We've heard on the news before that some children have taken their own lives because someone on the Internet told them that they were not wanted in the world. Can this happen on RuneScape too? It can. It's why Jagex has taken measures to ensure that players are in a safe environment and encourages players to report the harassment in game. Yet people seem to forget that there's that big red button on the bottom of the screen to help us combat against these bullies to preserve a somewhat peaceful community on RuneScape.

Please, remember that you're not talking to a computer when you're playing the game. Words can hurt. Respect each other, respect the community, and your social experiences in game will be that much more enhanced.

This Valentine's Day, besides saying “I Love You” to that special someone, do something nice for another player in game to brighten their day just a little more.


Do you have any thoughts or comments about this week's articles? Want to discuss these articles with your fellow RuneScapers? We invite you to discuss them in this forum topic.


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Will you use Menaphos to train your skills?



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